pain in chest, muscualar i think?

[jalco]

Thanks for ur opinion, i have been bothered by a wierd pain, ithink muscallar in my lower rib cage. im 47 (male) lift a lot, its tender 4 inches below my right nipple when i press on a 1 inch area on my lower rib.same pain when i raise my right arm straight up. with out doing these thing the pain is almost gone. but what worries me the pain doesnt change or get better, i have had it for a month. can it be a tear? getting older? lifting boxes im a printer paper is heavy? it only seem to bother me when a raise my arm high? or press on it? is it related to any organs under that rib? urine is ok i had chlmydia a few weeks ago? i might be a long lasting tear or something? i think the area was xrayed because of a fall a few months back they didnt see a break but that pain seem to pass after a week on its own? thankd for ur advice....

[wesTkraZ]

Undiagnosed symptom... It started by choking on a Trisket cracker last Monday 7/27.  I mean really choking to the point of throwing up anything I tried to get down.  Finally this subsided to a cough.  Two days later, I went to my internest that happens to be a Pulmunologist (long story).  She heard some kind of sounds in my chest and my pulse ox was 86.  She sent me for a chest xray and labs and put me on O2 - 24/7.  The xray came back negative, but she put me on Xopenex QID last Friday 7/31.  Well, it also happened that I fell asleep in a very awkard position Thursday nite (7/30) and awoke to this terrible chest pain.  I was sitting up doubled-over on my right side.  I could hardly move.  I can't touch the floor or reach up for anything.  It feels like I broke a rib.  Now it hurts really bad to cough, but I know that I need to get the gunk up. It's really thick, sticky and greenish/brownish color. Today (8/05), I started feeling this clicking in my ribs when I moved certain ways.  Maybe the rib is separated? I'm taking Bactrim SS QD, doing the breathing treatments - QID; staying on the O2; increased my prednisone to 10mg QD; and staying very still. I'm a 48 yr old female with a long history of SLE with kidney and lung involvement; DVTs, multiple fractured bones due to osteoporosis at young age.  So I know this is a lot to think about, but any ideas would be greatful.   If I thot I was in immediate danger, don't worry, I would go to the ER.  I'm worried I may have to go in the hospital tomorow to get IV antibiotics, but would like to know what you have to say about this weird combination of events. Thank you for your time.
wes-T kra-Z

[sickly girl]

I was recently in the ER for what I thought was chest pain, shortness of breath.  I had ct scan, nuclear stress test, chest xray.  Nothing explained the pain.  I sometimes feel light headed, very week & it seems hard to catch my breath sometimes, I can feel my heart beating very hard & it sometimes feel as if it flutters.  I have fibromyalgia and osteoarthris in both shoulders,hands & wrists, & in my knees.  The doctors in the ER seem to think that it is muscular/skeletal related not cardiac...I'm so fustrated!  Could it be Arthritis in my sternum or chest, & could it cause me to feel that way?

[calicotv]

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[kjh76]

Probably nothing serious, just a pulled muscle which takes a long time to heal. My wife had symptoms like yours and it was a pulled muscle according to the doctor. It took about 6 months to fully recover.  I personally have some type of arthritis in my chest area which has caused breathing problems but I can't get a confirmed diagnoses. My problems may be musclar as well but my docs believe because I am hla b27 positive and my mother has AS, that I may have it too. I have painful nodules and stuff from chest to the stomach. I hope you have better success with doctors than myself. I have been to every kind of doc and nobody can tell me what is wrong with me. I have spent over 5k in the last months with ct, bone scans, blood tests gi tests, and the most outrageous price of 1300 bucks to see a rheumy for 10 minutes excluding all blood work costs and xrays.

If I was you, and the pain is bothering you, find a good internal medicine doctor in your area to examine you. Avoid family physicans all together unless you have a cold or flu.

[Kevin Pho, MD]

Musculoskeletal causes can lead to the symptoms - such as a muscle tear, sprain or contusion.  

However, before attributing it to that, you may want to inquire about cardiac causes or GI causes.  If suspected, a stress test, upper GI series and/or abdominal ultrasound can rule out these possibilities.  

If the muscle is still suspected, a referral to a physical therapist or physiatrist (rehabilitation MD) can be considered to help treat the underlying cause.  Imaging of the area with a plain film or CT scan can also be considered.

These options can be discussed with yor personal physician.

Followup with your personal physician is essential.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Kevin, M.D.
kevinmd_